1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automotive light. In greater detail, the present invention regards a rear light for motor vehicles provided with a reverse light, a use to which the ensuing treatment will make explicit reference, without this implying any loss of generality.
2. Background Art
As is known, rear lights for motor vehicles generally comprise: a substantially basin-shaped rear casing, which is structured in such a way as to be stably recessed in a compartment purposely provided in the rear part of the vehicle body; a front half-shell, which is placed in order to close the mouth of the rear casing in such a way that it surfaces on the outside of the vehicle body, and is provided with a series of transparent or semitransparent lenticular portions, usually having colours different from one another; and a series of lighting assemblies, which are positioned within the rear casing, each immediately underneath a respective transparent or semitransparent lenticular portion of the front half-shell in such a way as to be able to backlight said transparent or semitransparent lenticular portion of the half-shell.
In greater detail, each lighting assembly is associated to a specific light signal and is structured in such a way as to generate a light beam that, after it has traversed the front half-shell, meets the specifications of type approval regarding colour, intensity, and spatial distribution of the light emitted.
In the case of the reverse light, the specifications of type approval establish that the lighting assembly must be able to emit a light beam provided with a first component parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a second component inclined by 30° towards the outside of the motor vehicle, a third component inclined by 45° towards the outside of the motor vehicle, and finally a fourth component inclined by 30° towards the vertical midplane of the motor vehicle. Optionally, the light beam may also have a fifth component inclined by 45° towards the vertical midplane of the motor vehicle.
In addition, the component of the light beam directed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle must have an intensity of not less than the summation of the intensities detected parallel to the other three or four directions referred to above.
In the latest automotive lights, the lighting assembly that generates the reverse light is formed by a horizontal row of LEDs placed at appropriate distances apart from one another, and by a series of reflectors with semiparabolic profile that are interspersed with the LEDs, each up against a respective LED, and are oriented in such a way as to reflect and collimate the light emitted by said LED towards the facing transparent or semitransparent lenticular portion of the front half-shell in a pre-set direction.
Each reflector is hence associated to a respective LED in such a way as to reflect and collimate the light emitted by said LED towards the facing transparent or semitransparent lenticular portion of the front half-shell in a pre-set direction.
The arrangement of the LEDs and the orientation of the respective reflectors are chosen in such a way as to generate a light beam that is able to meet the specifications of type approval envisaged for reverse lights.
In other words, a first set of reflectors is oriented in such a way as to reflect and collimate the light in a first direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle; a second set of reflectors is oriented in such a way as to reflect and collimate the light in a direction inclined by 30° towards the outside of the vehicle; a third set of reflectors is oriented in such a way as to reflect and collimate the light in a direction inclined by 45° towards the outside of the vehicle; and finally a fourth set of reflectors is oriented in such a way as to reflect and collimate the light in a direction inclined by 30° towards the vertical midplane of the vehicle.
Even though the lighting assembly described above works excellently, it has a relatively complex structure, which significantly affects the overall costs of production of the automotive light.
Each LED, in fact, is individually fixed on a small support and power-supply board that incorporates the electronic circuits for power-supply and control of the LED, with the problems of assembly that derive therefrom. The metallization of the reflectors, moreover, is an industrial process that is relatively long and is affected by a high degree of defectiveness.